The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-06-23

New 1 0rk Eer1lQl
Those Battle Flags.
When making up our judgment on an i'm
portant matter il is better TO be cool than ex-
cited The mere partisan seizes every opportu-
nifty to create political capital, and will use this
battle flag incident as a stepping stone to the at
tainment CT his personal ambition. But the
thoughtful American citizen, whose motto is
with malice toward none, with charity for
ALL, and who wishes to form an opinion from
cold facts rather than hot prejudices will look
twice before he leaps to a conclusion.
Let US take quiet view of the situation. A
large number Of flags, riddled with bulets-proof
of an unparalleled struggle in which the South
stoutly defended them, but were compelled 10
give way TO the all conquering onset of the Boys
in Blue-wge placed for safe keeping in charge
OF the United States War Department. They
were the sacred relics of a fratricidal contest
which left behind it million graves. They had
and always will have value not TO he measured
by bullion, but by the unquenched and un-
quenchabe spirit Of patriotism which summoned
our fathers and sons, and even our sisters and
wives, 10 the battlefield 10 do and die in defence
of The best government the sun ever shone upon.
These tattered battle flags, some of them borne
by Northern troops many Of them Wrested from
Southern re .iments, were for time on exhibit
ton in the Winder Building, in Washington.
For nearly score of years they were one of the
chief attractions in the Capital Of the country.
Old soldiers sought them on, and with flashing
eyes recouuting the scenes which in this hurry
ing age is rapidly fading from the nations mem
DRY, to be preserved, however, on the glowing
page Of history. Strangers from abroad gazed
upon them AS proof of the ability of a PEOPLE
volunteers by magic unknown in other coun-
tries and to protect their institutions at all haz
ards
At last, however, these battle flags were
L., 49,. =: A.--r,s U-sIT
Ht. N%hefe access TO them was impossible The
time had arrived when the spirit of Charles Sum
ners resolution in the Senate, that I" it is inexpe-
dent that the names of victories obtained over
our fellow-citizens should be placed on the regi
mental cslers of the United States" began to
dissipate the fierce animosities engendered by
war. Sumner read the problem Alright but he
was twenty years ahead Of his time He saw,
and we all see it now, that magnanmous victor
can afford TO forget; that if North and South are
to stand shoulder to shoulder in coming genera
tons the fiery and terrible memories of the past
must be obliterated by the loyalty that was born
when the family quarrel came to an end
That same policy was adopted by Mr.. Cleve-
land. But he, too, is possibly ahead of his time
When the national drill occurred in Washington
and he saw Northern and Southern soldiers
drawn up in line together, the scene itself sug-
gested the action which he afterward took He
saw the representatives of the whole country
from the lakes to the Gulf, march in review.
Sectional differences had disappeared forever.
Mason and Dixon's line no longer existed
Slavery had been extlnguished. North and
South stood for liberty and Union, one and In
separable, now and forever"
Perhaps he recalled the fact that the Ninth
Connecticut Volunteers had given back to the
Third Mississippi the flag they captured from
that regiment, and also the fact that the Con-
federates had returned their flag to the 164th
New York Volunteers, and other incidents of a
like nature, which show that the American peo-
pie can fight like heroes and forgive like brothers
With the consciousness that the spirit of unity
is to be :ostered, that sectional ties are 20 be
strengthened, he leaped, too hastily perhaps, to
the conclusion that the riddled flags might be
returned TO the Northern regiments which had
deposited them in the War Department, and 10
the Southern regiments from which thew were
captured.
1t was plan worthy of the President of a
united people 1t had its origin in that pres
xv tai in ho G,t,
pare to ftly welcome it. 1t reminds US of the
words of Grant on his deathbed: {" 1 feel that we
are on the eve of new era, when there is to be
great harmony between the Federal and the
Confederate. cannot stay TO be a living wit
ness to the correctness of this prophecy but
feel 1t within me that it is 10 be so. y
Let us have peace"
But there are reasons why 1t cannot be at once
successfully carried out. Mr.. Cleveland recog-
nizes the statute which throws the matter. and
rightly, into the hands of Congress. The peo-
pie, it is said, are not ready for it. AS whole
we believe that they are quite ready. AT any
rate it will be done ten or twenty years hence,
when our children take our places Then the
last remnant OF sectional feeling will have passed
away, and We shall be really one people-the
noblest, strongest nation on the globe Mr..
Cleveland, therefore, throws the responsibility
upon the shoulders OF Congress and the country.
General Fairchild, churlish aspirant for the
Presidency himself, invoked the palsy on the
hand, brain and tongue of the man who hoped
to make the country solid unit. His capital in |
trade would disappear were sectional feeling to |
die His hope is to lift the tide of hatred that he
may ride on Its crest 10 power. His language is |
that Of charlatan, and his curses can do no |
better than come home 10 roost. He does not |
represent the veterans; only his personal scheme |
for preferment.
Let that pass. The soldiers have been the frat
70 forget wrsng, and II they place the country
wnicn they saved on q better vantage ground by
giving up the trophies Of war to those from
WON they were captured, history will not be
anmndloi OF the fact that the Northern volun-
Ieer knew how 10 face the foe, and, after the
os.ue, 20 bury everything except hls love Of his